Just as everything dies, Windows 7 is reaching it's end of life. It may be sad for some, but Microsoft will no longer be supporting it as of January 14th, 2020. So the question stands, what do you need to do if you are currently running Windows 7?
A Brief History of Windows 7.
First, let's start with a look back at the history of this operating system. Windows 7 was originally released in July of 2009 and has been an OS powerhouse for a decade. Over those years, it became a household name and was widely praised by both home and business users alike. In the first years, Window 7 had sold over 630 million copies worldwide and for a long time was the most popular desktop operating system in the world. That title was only lost recently when Windows 10 overtook in the latter part of 2018.
What does End of Life Mean?
End of Life is when a product is no longer supported by those who produce it. In Windows 7's case this means that Microsoft will no longer create updates for it. That also means that security flaws will not be patched after the declared end of life date. Makers of Third Party applications could also cease to develop and patch Windows 7 based programs.
How does this Affect me?
As said before no updates or patches will be released for Windows 7 after its End of Life date. This means that hackers will find loopholes and other vulnerabilities over time and these will create an unsafe environment for anyone who hasn't upgraded. In addition to the security concerns, your software and programs could run into issues and become incompatible with your computer.
What to Do.
Before January 14th, you should upgrade your Windows software to Windows 10 Pro. We at Lighthouse IT Solutions can help guide you through the upgrade process. You could also upgrade yourself by purchasing a license either online through the Microsoft store or through another distributor.